Switchboard for high-tension circuits



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

I J. J. WOOD. SWITOHBOARD FOR HIGE TENSION CIRCUITS.

No. 520,128. Patented May 22, 189 4.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. WOOD; SWITGHBOARI) FOR HIGH TENSION CIRCUITS.

,128. Patented May 22, 1894;-

FIG. 3.

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1N VE NTO R By his Azzomeys,

UNITED STATES PATENT GEFIGE.

JAMES J. IVOOD, OF FORT WVAYNE, INDIANA.

SWITCHBQARD FOR HIGH-TENSION CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,128, dated May 22,1894.

Application filed February 6, 1894. Serial No. 499,256- (N'o model.)

To 60% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. \VOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing in Fort Wayne, inthe county of Allen and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Switchboards for High-Tension Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to multiple switch boards forelectric light lines to be used in central stations, for couplingdiiferent outside lines with difierent dynamos, or with each other, invarious arrangements according to circumstances.

My present invention constitutes an improvement in construction upon theswitchboard shown and claimed in my Patent No. 412,818, dated October15, 1889.

The nature of my improvements will be hereinafter set forth withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a frontelevation of a small switch-board constructed according to my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of one of the socket-pieces, the slab in which it is seatedbeing shown in section. Fig.4 is a front or face view of thesocket-piece. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal mid-section thereof. Fig. 6 is aplan thereof, the spring being omitted. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectionon the line 7-7 in Fig. 5, the spring and latch both being omitted. Fig.8 is a face view of the rear fastening plate. Fig. 9 includes a side andtop view of the latch. Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive are drawn to a largerscale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the switchboard A consists of a slab,of marble by pref erence, or of slate, wood, or other insulatingmaterial, which is mounted on two end cleats B B, these being preferablytied together by cross-bars O C. The cleats B B are adapted to bescrewed or otherwise fastened against the wall of the station.

Holes are formed through the slab A in suitable positions, and in theseholes are placed socket-pieces D D, made preferably of brass or othersuitable metal. It is in the construction of these socket-pieces and themeans for fastening them to the board or slab A, that my presentinvention resides. Ac cording to my former patent referred to, the

corresponding socket-pieces were formed of two sections or parts, of'which the larger passed freely through holes in the front board and wereconstructed with base plates by which they were attached to woodencrossbars behind the board, these base plates forming also the socketsor binding posts for permanent connection with the circuit wires; whilethe smaller parts or sections constitut ing the outer or front portionof the socketpiece were formed as separate blocks, soldered or otherwiseattached to the main or rear portions. I now form the socket-pieceintegrally and mount it on the slab, providing it with a simple meansfor attachment thereto, instead of mounting it on a wooden bar behindthe slab.

Referring to Fig. 3, the slab A is formed with a simple cylindrical holea. The socketpiece D is formed with an enlargement or head at its frontend comprising a flange 1) adapted to seat against the front face of theslab around the margin of the hole, and a neck 0 adapted to enter andfit snugly within the hole to properly center the socket-piece therein.The rear portion of the socket-piece back of this neck is reduced insize for the sake of lightness, and no portion of the socket-piece backof the neck is larger than the neck. The socket-piece can thus be easilyapplied from the front by thrusting it through the hole to until theneck 0 and flange b are seated in place. The socket-piece is formed witha main socket E consisting of a bore extending horizontally through itfrom front to rear, or at least deeply into it. The socket piece isformed with walls of sufficient thickness around this bore, and at therear thereof it is formed with a connection socket F consisting of atubular portion united integrally to the walls of the socket E, andhaving a bore of sufficient size to admit a bared circuit wire, andformed with threaded sockets for admitting binding screws (Z d to clampsuch wire in place. The connection socket F is arranged to project asufficient distance to the rear of the marble slab A. The socket-pieceis formed on opposite sides with two arms or wings e 6 having screwthreaded perforations adapted to receive the threaded ends of two screwsf f. A fastening plate or disk G, shown separately in Fig. 8, is formedwith a deep notch or slot gadapted to admit Within it the body portionof the socket-piece, so that when the socket-piece is in place, thisplate G can be slipped down over it from the top to a concentricposition,in which position two holes h him it stand in line with thethreaded sockets in the wings e e. The twoscrewsff are then passedthrough the holes h h, and their ends screwed into the threaded holes inthe Wings 6 e, thereby drawing the fastening plate G tightly against theback of the slab, and consequently drawing back the socketpiece D sothat its flange b is pressed tightly against the front of the slab. Bythis simple means the socket-piece is firmly mounted in the opening inthe slab.

As in my former construction the socketpiece is formed with a notch centering into the socket E, and with a pivoted latch j (Fig. 9) havingits free end pressed into this notch, so that the beveled head of thelatch enters the socket E in order to drop into a notch in the bentswitch-pin II, which enters this socket in the manner shown in Fig. 2.The latch is pressed down by a spring 3. The construction of theseparts, however, is somewhat improved as compared with my formerswitch-board. The latch j is pivoted in similar manner between ears onthe socketpiece, but the spring 5 instead of being fixed in a rightangle tail on the latch, and extending vertically behind the slab isfixed in a notch or recess 25 formed in the rear side of the head orfront part of the socket-piece, as shown best in Figs. 5 and 7, andextends backward, within the hole in the slab its free rear endoverlying and pressing down upon the latch. The construction is thusmore compact than formerly. Furthermore, by my former construction thelatch of the upper series of socket-pieces for the line was on the upperside, while that for the lower series of socketpieces connected to thedynamos was on the lower side, which necessitated that the switchpins Hshould be formed with notches at opposite sides, in order that anyswitch-pin might be caught by the latch when inserted in eithersocket-piece. This was due in my former construction to the necessity ofrelatively inverting the upper and lower series of socket-pieces, inorder that the connection sockets of the upper series might projectupwardly and those of the lower series project downwardly. My presentinvention avoids this defect by the construction of the connectionsocket F to stand vertically back of the socket E, and so that freeaccess can be gained to it from either above or below for the insertionof the circuit wire,so that these wires may be connected to the socketsin the manner shown in Fig. 2, the wire entering the connection socket Fof the upper series of socket-pieces at the top and entering those ofthe lower series at the bottom.

As in my former construction the socketpiece is formed with inclinedside sockets I I (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) into which may be inserted thetransfer or testing switch-pins J J, in the manner shown in Fig. 2. Themiddle of the switch-board affords a convenient place for mounting anammeter K, which is also formed with sockets for receiving the pins J. Aground connection L is also provided with a similar socket for receivingone of these pins, so that any of the circuits can be tested forground-leakage.

I claim as my invention the following-defined novel features,substantially as hereinbefore specified, namely:

1. In a switch-board, the combination with a slab having a hole throughit, of a socketpiece entering said hole formed with a flange to seatagainst the front face of the slab, a fastening plate adapted to beplaced against the rear face of the slab, and clamping screws engagingsaid plate and the socket-piece respectivelyto draw them together andclamp the socket-piece to the slab.

2. In a switch-board, the combination with a slab having a hole throughit, of a socketpiece D entering said hole having a front flange b toseat against the front face of the slab, and a neck 0 for centering itin said hole, a fastening plate Gadapted to be placed against the rearface of the slab, and clamping screws engaging said plate and the socketpiece respectively to draw them together, and clamp the socket-piece tothe slab.

3. In a switch-board, the combination with a slab having a hole throughit, of a socketpiece D having a front flange b and opposite ears 6 e, afastening plate G, and screwsff passing through said plate and screwinginto said ears to clamp thesocket-piece to the slab.

4. In a switch-board, the combination with a slab having a hole throughit, of a socketpiece passing through said hole from the front, and meansfor clamping it to the slab, said socket piece formed with an integralconnection socket F at its rear end small enough to pass through saidhole and adapted to receive a circuit wire into it either from above orbelow.

5. In a switch-board, the combination with a slab having a hole throughit, of a socketpiece passing through said hole, and having a head at itsfront end filling said hole and means for fastening it to the slab, alatch j having its beveled head entering through a notch into thesocket, and a separate spring 3 lying within said hole seated in therear of the front portion or head of the socket-piece, and projectingthence rearwardly with its free end pressing upon the latch.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES J. WOOD. Witnesses:

ARTHUR O. FRASER, GEoRe-n H. FRASER.

